History on a Pinhead

The
area was settled as early as 1846 when a man named Charles Bradley moved his family
here. Growth was generally slow in this area for communities not fortunate enough
to have a railroad, and it wasn’t until 1878 that a school was constructed. The
school took the name of Tonqua for the friendly Tonkawa Indians. The school also
served as the Baptist Church and community center. Proximity to Yoakum
prevented growth and by 1944 the school was closed. By the early 1960s only the
cemetery was left.

"Four
of my mother's uncles are included in the picture. I personally own the picture.
I found it among my great grandmother's things. I contributed a copy of the photo
to the Lavaca County genweb site, but the town was later determined to be in DeWitt
County. In a google search, Tonqua Creek appears to be very near Terryville.

PS Please keep up the good work on Texas Escapes. It's one of my favorites."
- Deborah Smith (Who also suggested Tonqua for inclusion), San
Antonio, Texas

Dear TE,I ran across a newspaper article recently:
"Weimar Mercury October 10, 1903 County Line Cullings H.
L. Wade, who has disposed of his place here, has commenced moving to his new home
near Terryville, DeWitt County."

This is my great grandfather and the article would seem to prove that the Tonqua
School was near the Tonqua Creek, and very near Terryville,
as we thought. - Deborah Smith, June 24, 2011

Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us.